Tag Archives: Tornado

One year after tornado, TSU family remembers community support, help from ‘total strangers’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University may have been caught in the devastation of a tornado that hit northwest and east Nashville early last March, but the campus family also experienced an outpouring of community support and resilience in the aftermath that has fostered healing and a spirit to rebuild.

President Glenda Glover pets 1-year-old Gracie the goat, which was born the night of the tornado. Gracie’s mother survived the storm and gave birth to two kids that night. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

“It was so much outpouring of love and support. People came from different places on different days,” says Dr. Glenda Glover, president of TSU. “Nashvillians stuck together, some students were on spring break and when they came back, they jumped in. We were overwhelmed with the level of love and support and care.” 

March 3 marked the one-year anniversary of the EF2 tornado that struck shortly after midnight. TSU’s Agriculture Farm took the biggest hit. Five of six structures, including research facilities, greenhouses, and a pavilion, were reduced to rubble. Two calves were killed, and several goats injured.

Dr. Chandra Reddy, Dean of the College of Agriculture, talks to a reporter from the spot where the nearly 300-seat pavilion once stood. The pavilion and several other structures were damaged. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Other parts of the main campus received damage to signs and building rooftops, as well as downed power lines, uprooted trees, and other debris. About 85 students who did not go away for the spring break were on campus, but no injuries were reported.

Officials estimate total damage to the campus to be about $20 million.

However, amid the scars of what was lost or destroyed, one thing that has stood out is the volunteerism displayed by people from all walks of life. When asked what they remembered most about the tornado and the aftermath, faculty, staff, and students noted the general outpouring of support from total strangers.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Dean of the College of Engineering, right, led a team of faculty, staff, student and community volunteers to remove debris. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Jeia Moore arrived in Nashville from her spring break a few days after the storm hit.  

“It was sad to see my campus like that because so much student work had been lost,” says Moore, a junior information systems major from Memphis, Tennessee. A year later, however, Moore is impressed with how the university has been able to pull through, even with the onset of the coronavirus at the same time. 

“TSU, we are not going to be down too long. We are going to come back,” says Moore. “I am just happy that we are still able to function like we never missed a beat.” 

Volunteers from all walks of life signed up to help with the cleanup effort after the tornado. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Bryce Daniel, a junior health sciences major from Fort Worth, Texas, was in his dorm room in Hale Hall when the storm hit. Hale Hall was not affected, but the sight of the destruction on the other side of campus was too overwhelming for Daniel to ignore. 

“I immediately felt I needed to give back and help my campus recover,” says Daniel, who’s part of “Generation of Educated Men,” or GEM, a social and educational student group. The group mobilized and was among the first volunteers to join the cleanup effort on the Ag farm. 

Members of Generation of Educated Men, a campus group of TSU students, were among the first volunteers to join the cleanup effort. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

“I was glad to be safe and blessed to still have all of my things. So, it was just natural to go and give back to help clean up my campus,” says Daniel. 

Some renovations on the main campus are either completed or ongoing. As for the Ag farm, TSU officials say discussions with state and federal agencies and insurance underwriters are ongoing, and construction should start soon and be completed by year’s end.  

“Effort to reconstruct is slower, complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But we are moving along, it might take some time, but we will get there,” says Glover. 

Debris was thrown about in every corner of the Ag farm in the aftermath of the tornado. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

On the learning aspect, she says it’s been a grueling year, because things are at a slower pace. How students are taught changed drastically, with teaching and learning now about 85 percent virtual.  

“We have some aspects that are not virtual, and we do require in-person learning, so we want to make sure that is taken care of,” says Glover. “Once COVID has run its course, we believe that we will be moving at a faster pace.” 

Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff, heads the reconstruction effort at TSU. He says recovery will take time, but the main concern is making sure teaching and research are not affected.

As the days went by, more volunteers showed up to lend a hand in the cleanup. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

“We look forward to rebuilding a better campus,” says Johnson. “We expect our rebuilding to have better structure, better technology. ”

Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture, agrees, saying the goal is to “make sure all of our buildings and research facilities are much better and much stronger.” 

On the show of support, Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, says in the aftermath of the storm he saw a campus community determined to bounce back, “not only to represent Tiger pride, but the city of Nashville strong.” 

“Our students, faculty, staff, everyone put the gloves on, rolled up their sleeves and were committed to making our campus continue in the space of beauty,” says Stevenson. 

GEM member Derrick Sanders, a junior secondary English education major from Cincinnati, Ohio, who drove into Nashville the next morning amid the destruction, says “it felt so good to see people come together for the enhancement of TSU.”

“I saw people from the community, people from different churches, even students giving out anything they had to help. It just felt good to know that we are a family, and we can help each other,” says Sanders. 

Volunteers from across city come to TSU Ag farm to help clean up tornado damage

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Volunteers from across the City of Nashville came to Tennessee State University’s agricultural farm on Monday to join the TSU family in cleaning up damage from last week’s tornado.

The storm system that hit northwest and east Nashville shortly after midnight last Monday spawned the tornado that damaged portions of TSU’s campus. However, the university’s Ag farm was devastated, with five structures destroyed. Several livestock were also killed.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of TSU’s College of Engineering and one of the cleanup leaders, helps remove debris. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, as well as other state officials and lawmakers, surveyed the damage last week.

“We appreciate all the support the community is showing TSU,” said Dr. Curtis Johnson, the university’s chief of staff.

Dwight Beard is president of the Nashville Chapter of the TSU National Alumni Association. He said seeing people come from all over the city to help TSU is “awesome!”

“It shows the love of the community,” said Beard, who helped clean up tree limbs and debris in other parts of the campus soon after the tornado hit. “It shows people coming together, and that’s what we should do.”

Among the volunteers were representatives from the Nashville Predators hockey team, which recently partnered with TSU to help raise money for student scholarships.

People line up to register to volunteer. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

“The Predators actually closed our office today and sent staff to volunteer at different locations throughout the city to help with tornado relief,” said Robin Lee, the Predators’ director of sponsorship service.

Many of TSU’s own helped in the cleanup effort.

TSU football coach Rod Reed agreed.

“It’s important that as an employee we take responsibility to also help rebuild our own workplace and facilities,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of TSU’s College of Engineering, and one of the cleanup team leaders.

Volunteers help with cleanup. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

“It’s extremely important for us to get out and show our presence,” said Reed, who brought about 10 football players to help clean up.

Ben Owen of Oak Hill School, a private Christian institution in Nashville, came with five other co-workers.

“We’ve got a heart for service,” said Owen, who is director of technology at the school. “We heard of the need over here, so we organized and came over.”

Cleanup on the farm was expected to continue on Tuesday and Wednesday. For information about how to help, contact the Office of Emergency Management at 615-963-1489.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee surveys storm damage at TSU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee visited TSU on Tuesday to survey damage caused by a tornado that touched down near the university’s main campus.

Storm damage on TSU agricultural farm. (Photo by Travis Loller/AP)

The storm system that hit northwest and east Nashville shortly after midnight on Monday spawned the tornado that severely damaged structures on Tennessee State University’s agricultural farm. Three of four buildings were totally destroyed, and the welfare of the animals is a priority. TSU agriculture officials said two calves were killed and several goats injured.

Other parts of the campus received damage to signs and building rooftops, as well as downed power lines, uprooted trees and other debris. The university has suspended power to structures with the most damage as a safety precaution. 

Gov. Lee surveyed the worst damage, which was at the farm.

“Our thanks to Gov. Bill Lee for touring TSU and assessing the damage,” said TSU President Glenda Glover.

Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU’s chief of staff, said state officials are working with the university to assess the damage, which he said could have been worse.

“Nobody was injured,” said Johnson.

TSU’s agricultural farm is known for its nationally recognized goat research, as well as cattle research. Dr. Richard Browning, TSU’s lead goat researcher, echoed Johnson’s sentiment in regard to damage.

“It could have been worse,” said Browning.

TSU students are on spring break this week, but a few are on campus and are safe.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.